For my birthday this year, I wanted to do two things I love dearly: drive and drink wine. Potentially a terrible combination, I know, but with a bit of planning and some responsible wine tasting, it makes for a rather good day out.
Our McLaren Vale day trip from Adelaide took us to two very different wineries and one fantastic restaurant for lunch. It was a day well spent, and this post is the result.
Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply fancy exploring McLaren Vale, this itinerary shows you how we spent the day and how you can do the same. It’s a tried-and-tested route for enjoying the region without trying to squeeze ten wineries into a single day. Because if you can’t remember whether you just tasted a Grenache or a Shiraz, it might be time to call it a day.
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Is McLaren Vale Worth Visiting on a Day Trip from Adelaide?
Like our Barossa Valley day trip for Jin’s birthday earlier this year, we wanted our McLaren Vale day trip to be relaxed and focused. While you could probably manage more than two or three wineries in a day, I doubt you’d enjoy it. Anyone claiming you can experience an entire wine region in one day is either talking rubbish or has asked AI to plan their itinerary.
Instead of trying to see everything, we suggest slowing down and savouring the places you choose to visit. That’s what makes our McLaren Vale day trip worthwhile. Our itinerary has three main stops, with Port Willunga Beach as an optional fourth, and that’s plenty for one day.
For us, McLaren Vale is one of the best day trips from Adelaide, as you could combine wine tasting with time at the beach. It took us just over 30 minutes to drive from our home in Glenelg to the wine region. You’ll find a great choice of wineries, some seriously good restaurants, and short drives between stops, so you can spend more time enjoying yourself and less time behind the wheel.
How We Spent One Day in McLaren Vale
Our plan was simple. Visit two wineries, taste some wines (I was particularly keen to find a few Chenin Blancs and Rieslings to enjoy as summer approaches), have a really good lunch, take scenic drives and finish the day with a beach sunset.
Unfortunately, the weather decided to give our plans the middle finger. The rain and wind put an end to the beach sunset, but we still had a great day despite the miserable weather.
Here’s how our day unfolded:
| Time | Stop |
|---|---|
| 9:55 | Leave home in Glenelg |
| 10:30 | Visit the d’Arenberg Cube & wine tasting |
| 12:30 | Long lunch at Salopian Inn |
| 14:30 | Scenic drive through McLaren Vale |
| 15:15 | Wine tasting at Coriole Vineyards |
| 17:00 | Arrive home in Glenelg |
Optional extra: If the weather is on your side, finish the day with sunset at Port Willunga Beach.
Stop 1: Visit the d’Arenberg Cube
We usually avoid places like the d’Arenberg Cube. They’re often overhyped spectacles that exist more for Instagram photos than the actual experience. We prefer small and intimate over attention whores.
But every Tom, Dick, and Harry who’s been wine tasting around Adelaide seems to recommend the Cube, so we decided to see what all the fuss was about. Our expectations were firmly in check.
The d’Arenberg Cube is certainly the most outlandish winery in McLaren Vale. A path flanked by vines leads to the entrance of a giant Rubik’s Cube that someone has twisted into a building. It’s impossible to miss, which probably explains why it’s one of the region’s most popular stops.
When we visited, d’Arenberg also featured a Salvador Dalí sculpture exhibition. Long-legged elephants and melting clocks greeted visitors and fitted surprisingly well with the giant cube looming behind them. We arrived at 10:30 on a Friday, just as the doors opened, and had the place almost to ourselves at first.
Inside the Cube
Our $20 entry included the Alternate Realities Museum and a wine tasting. The Dalí exhibition cost an additional $10, but having seen plenty of Dalí in Spain, we decided to save our money.
The Alternate Realities Museum on the first floor is kitsch, and it makes absolutely no attempt to hide it. Somewhere between utterly freakish and an especially ambitious high school art project, the exhibits are certainly memorable. Oddly enough, they grew on me. By the time we left, I’d warmed to the whole concept.
By the time we left d’Arenberg Cube I knew that wine does not have to be a serious-stiff-upper-lip-experience, and that life gets a little more fun when you stop taking yourself so seriously.
Wine Tasting with a View
The main event for us was upstairs, where the tasting bar looks out over the vineyards and McLaren Vale. The views were rather atmospheric through the rain, and our friendly, knowledgeable guide, Jack, took us through a flight of five white wines.
We were surprised by how quickly the place filled up. By 11:00, the tasting room was buzzing with visitors, and we were feeling rather pleased with our decision to come early. The wines were excellent, too. We left with a bottle of Dry Dam Riesling and a bottle of The Witches Berry Organic Chardonnay.
One tip before you leave: take the stairs down instead of the lift. The four floors are full of the Cube’s colourful, wonderfully weird decor, and you’ll find some freaky bathrooms on the second floor. The men’s urinals, colourful characters with their mouths wide open, are a pee the guys will remember for a while.
We also had a look at a temporary exhibition of limited-edition Dr Seuss prints, which was free to enter (even though the prints cost a few thousand dollars each). It was another unexpected dose of quirkiness in a place that clearly has no interest in playing it safe.
The d’Arenberg Cube turned out to be a fun and genuinely unique start to our day. We’re glad we ignored our initial scepticism and went to see it for ourselves.
Oh, and the wine was damn good, too.
Stop 2: Have a Long Lunch at Salopian Inn
Our entire day in McLaren Vale revolved around lunch at Salopian Inn. We’d tried to book a table earlier in the year but couldn’t get a reservation for the weekend we wanted. This time, we visited on a Friday and managed to secure a table a week in advance. Expectations were high, as Salopian Inn regularly comes up in conversations about Adelaide’s best restaurants.
Before arriving, we’d gone through the online menu several times. Everything looked tempting, and we couldn’t decide what to order. After our second or third glass of wine at the d’Arenberg Cube, Jin suggested we try the Feed Me menu instead. At $95 per person, I nearly choked on my Riesling. Jin reminded me that it was my birthday and that I only get one of those a year.
Fair point.
The drive from d’Arenberg to Salopian Inn took less than ten minutes. We parked out front and walked in just before our 12:30 booking. The building is draped in ivy, with a yellow sign announcing that it was established in 1851. Inside, a faintly familiar but unusual aroma greeted us. Jin reckoned it was soy sauce, which turned out to be a fitting introduction to the food.
Salopian Inn serves modern Australian cuisine with Asian influences, using fresh, seasonal local produce. Our waitress explained that the menu changes every four weeks, with a few guest favourites sticking around.
We asked her to talk us through that day’s ten-course Feed Me menu, and it didn’t take long to convince us. She checked for allergies and dietary requirements, of which we had none. When Jin asked if we could add the pork croquettes, which weren’t included that day, she happily arranged it.
Salopian Inn Feed Me
The dishes started arriving, beautifully presented and in portions that left us plenty of room to try everything. The smoked sourdough had an almost burnt flavour in the best possible way, followed by delicate fish on toast and olives. Then came the pork croquettes, kangaroo skewers, followed by fish dumplings with crispy chilli oil.
If you order just one thing at Salopian Inn, make it the dumplings. The crispy chilli oil was so good that I’m still thinking about them.
The mains were just as impressive. Fish and mussels in bisque were followed by roast lamb with crispy potatoes and salad. The lamb was on another level, and by this point we were very happy with Jin’s birthday logic.
Dessert started with a grapefruit and star anise sorbet, which was a lovely fresh finish to the savoury courses. Then came the dish that stole the show for me: ricotta cake with pears and caramelised nuts. This was a new dish on the menu, and our waitress seemed just as excited as us when she served them.
I cannot recommend Salopian Inn highly enough. Book ahead, settle in for a long lunch, and let the kitchen decide what you’re eating. Pair it with a local wine or one of their famous gins, and give yourself plenty of time to enjoy it.
This isn’t a stop to rush through before your next winery. It’s a very good reason to visit McLaren Vale in the first place.
Online reservations for Salopian Inn
Scenic Drives Around McLaren Vale
Lunch lasted a glorious two hours, and by the time we walked out, we were STUFFED. Jin suggested going for a drive before our next wine tasting. I agreed. There simply wasn’t room in my body for another sip of wine.
We drove without a particular destination for about 40 minutes, eventually heading towards Samuel’s Gorge, a cellar door we’d considered adding to our itinerary before deciding that three wineries might be pushing our luck.
The surrounding countryside was gorgeous. We pulled over for a short walk and took in the rolling hills covered in vineyards. Eventually, we continued our drive through the countryside around Onkaparinga River National Park, and by then, we were both ready for another wine tasting.
Stop 3: Wine Tasting at Coriole Vineyards
One of Jin’s friends and her husband recommended Coriole as their favourite McLaren Vale winery. When I started researching where to find the best Chenin Blanc in the region, Coriole kept coming up, too. Naturally, we had to see what the fuss was about.
Coriole is small and intimate, the complete opposite of the slightly bonkers cube of art and wine we’d visited earlier in the day. This is much closer to what we picture when we think of wine country.
The little cellar door is surrounded by colourful flowers and rolling lawns, which give way to rows of vines curling over the hills. The whole place feels like visiting your very down-to-earth, but somehow incredibly wealthy, friend who lives in a cottage in the country.
Wine Tasting at Coriole
At the time of our visit, tastings cost $20 per person for the standard selection or $35 for the premium wines. The fee is waived if you buy a bottle. We shared a standard tasting between us, which is a sensible option when you’re driving and still have another journey home.
We started with a glass of Prosecco before working our way through a selection of whites and reds. I particularly liked the Fiano, an Italian white grape variety from Campania that I was unfamiliar with before this visit.
I’d also been hearing good things about Coriole’s Chenin Blanc, The Optimist, which had come up repeatedly in my search for the best McLaren Vale Chenin Blanc. It wasn’t on the tasting menu, but when I mentioned it to our guide, he kindly opened a bottle for us to try. I’m pleased to report that the rumours were justified. I left with a bottle of the 2022 The Optimist Chenin Blanc.
After the tasting, we wandered around the lovely gardens before getting back in the car. If you’re self-driving around McLaren Vale, take your time between tastings. A stroll around the grounds is a much better idea than jumping straight behind the wheel. Enjoy the scenery, give yourself a break, and make sure you’re safe to drive before setting off.
When we moved to Adelaide, I knew I wanted to start building my own little wine collection, and this seemed like the perfect excuse to get it going. I arrived home with three very nice McLaren Vale whites, including that Optimist which I will sit for a while.
Optional Stop: Finish Your McLaren Vale Day Trip at Port Willunga Beach
We’d planned to end the day with sunset at Port Willunga Beach, but the weather had other ideas. The rain had stopped by then, but it was cold and windy, and neither of us fancied a beach visit quite enough to brave the conditions.
On a sunny evening, though, can you think of a better way to finish a day of wine tasting and good food than watching the sun sink into the sea? Port Willunga is less than 20 minutes from Coriole by car, making it an easy detour before heading back to Adelaide.
We’ll have to return on a day when the sun actually shows up, and then I can tell you what it’s like for myself.
How to Plan a McLaren Vale Day Trip from Adelaide
We drove ourselves from Glenelg, and having the freedom to choose where to go and how long to stay was a big plus. However, self-driving isn’t for everyone, especially when wine tasting is involved.
If you don’t have a car, book a wine tour. There are several tours departing from Adelaide, with winery visits, lunch and transport included. We’d go with this hop-on-hop-off McLaren Vale tour if we had to do it ourselves. We spotted plenty of tour minibuses and coaches during our visit. It’s a popular and practical way to experience McLaren Vale without worrying about driving afterwards.
Public transport is another option, although it takes more planning. You can catch the train from Adelaide to Seaford and connect to a bus serving McLaren Vale. However, services and connections can limit how many places you visit.
A few other tips from our day:
- Arrive early at the d’Arenberg Cube. We arrived at 10:30 am on a Friday, and by 11 am the tasting room was already getting busy.
- Book lunch in advance. Salopian Inn is popular, and we secured our Friday lunch reservation a week ahead. Don’t leave it until the last minute, particularly if you have your heart set on a specific restaurant.
- Keep your itinerary realistic. We visited two wineries, enjoyed a long lunch and took a scenic drive, with time to spare. Three main stops were plenty for one day.
- Plan your transport around the wine tasting. If you’re driving, arrange for a designated driver who avoids alcohol. Otherwise, take a tour or arrange alternative transport. Don’t assume that sharing tastings or waiting a little while automatically makes you safe to drive.
How Much Does a McLaren Vale Day Trip Cost?
So, how much did our self-drive day trip to McLaren Vale cost? Let’s crunch the numbers. All prices are in Australian dollars.
| Expense | Cost for two |
|---|
| d’Arenberg Cube entry and wine tasting | $40 |
| Feed Me lunch at Salopian Inn | $190 |
| Coriole wine tasting | $0 ( $20 fee waived with purchase) |
| Three bottles of wine | $80 |
| Petrol | Not included |
| Total | $310 |
That works out to $155 per person, excluding petrol. We spent $80 on three bottles of wine to take home, so if you leave out the wine purchases, the day cost us $115 per person, plus petrol.
The biggest expense was lunch at Salopian Inn, but for a ten-course meal that was a highlight of the day, we thought it was worth the splurge. You could bring the total down by choosing a cheaper lunch and skipping the wine shopping, or spend more if you opt for premium tastings.
McLaren Vale Day Trip FAQs
2. How far is McLaren Vale from Adelaide?
McLaren Vale is around 40 to 45 minutes by car from Adelaide CBD, making it an easy day trip. We drove from Glenelg and reached the d’Arenberg Cube in about 30 minutes. Use Google Maps for navigation.
2. Is one day enough for McLaren Vale?
Yes. One day is enough to enjoy a few wineries, have a long lunch and explore the surrounding countryside. We visited two wineries and Salopian Inn, with time for a scenic drive in between. You won’t see the whole region, but you can have a very good day without rushing.
3. Can you visit McLaren Vale without a car?
Yes, but public transport can limit how easily you get between wineries. You can travel by train to Seaford and connect with bus services, but for a day focused on wine tasting, an organised tour from Adelaide is generally more convenient.
4. Do you need to book winery tastings and restaurants in McLaren Vale?
It’s wise to book ahead, particularly for popular restaurants and premium tasting experiences. We booked Salopian Inn a week in advance. Check each winery’s current booking requirements before visiting, especially if you’re travelling on a weekend or during a busy period.
5. Can you visit McLaren Vale wineries and the beach in one day?
Yes, you can combine wine tasting with a coastal stop if you plan your route and leave enough time. Port Willunga Beach is less than 20 minutes by car from Coriole Vineyards, making it a possible final stop for sunset. We had planned to go but abandoned the idea because of the cold, windy weather.
Final Thoughts: Is a McLaren Vale Day Trip Worth It?
Absolutely. We arrived at McLaren Vale with a relaxed plan, ate an incredible lunch at Salopian Inn, discovered two very different wineries and enjoyed some beautiful countryside along the way. Even the rain couldn’t spoil the day, although Port Willunga’s sunset will have to wait for another visit.
If you’re visiting Adelaide, I’d highly recommend making time for McLaren Vale. And if you’re still planning your trip, have a look at my guide on where to stay in Adelaide to find the right base for exploring South Australia.